In one illustrative example, a method for use in making a magnetic write head includes the steps of forming a first pole piece layer of a first pole piece; forming a patterned resist over the first pole piece layer; electroplating a pedestal over the first pole piece layer within a channel of the patterned resist; electroplating a metal gap layer over the pedestal within the channel of the patterned resist; forming a resist channel shrinking film over the patterned resist; baking the resist channel shrinking film over the patterned to thereby reduce a width of the channel; removing the resist channel shrinking film; electroplating a second pole piece within the reduced-width channel of the patterned resist; removing the patterned resist; and milling the pedestal, using the second pole piece as a mask, to form a central notched pedestal having side walls with angled slopes.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for use in making a magnetic head, comprising: forming a first pole piece layer of a first pole piece; forming a patterned resist over the first pole piece layer; electroplating a pedestal over the first pole piece layer within a channel of the patterned resist; forming a gap layer over the pedestal within the channel of the patterned resist; forming a resist channel shrinking film over the patterned resist; baking the resist channel shrinking film to thereby reduce a width of the channel of the patterned resist; removing the resist channel shrinking film; electroplating a second pole piece within the reduced-width channel of the patterned resist; removing the patterned resist; and milling the pedestal, using the second pole piece as a mask, to form a central notched pedestal having side walls with angled slopes.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced-width channel is reduced such that the second pole piece is centered relative to the pedestal.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central notched pedestal is formed to be symmetrical.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: wherein the reduced-width channel is reduced sufficiently such that the second pole piece is centered relative to the pedestal; and wherein the central notched pedestal is formed to be symmetrical due to the centering of the second pole piece and the act of milling.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: repeating the acts of forming the resist channel shrinking film and baking to further reduce the width of the reduced-width channel.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: forming a seed layer over the gap layer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gap layer comprises a non-magnetic insulator.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gap layer comprises a non-magnetic metal.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gap layer comprises a non-magnetic metal selected from the group consisting of rhodium, tantalum/rhodium, chromium, and gold.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced-width channel is produced by an expansion of resist materials within the channel during the act of baking.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced-width channel is produced by a growth of materials within the channel during the act of baking.
12. A method for use in making a magnetic head, comprising: forming, within a channel of a patterned resist, a first pole piece pedestal and gap layer over the first pole piece pedestal; forming a resist channel shrinking film within the channel of the patterned resist; baking the resist channel shrinking film over the patterned resist to thereby reduce a width of the channel of the patterned resist; removing the resist channel shrinking film; and electroplating a second pole piece within the reduced-width channel of the patterned resist.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: removing the patterned resist; and milling the pedestal, using the second pole piece as a mask, to form a central notched pedestal having side walls with angled slopes.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of forming the pedestal comprises the further act of electroplating pedestal materials within the channel of the patterned resist.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the resist comprises a chemically-amplified photoresist.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reduced-width channel allows for the second pole piece to be centered relative to the pedestal.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: removing the patterned resist; milling the pedestal, using the second pole piece as a mask, to form a central notched pedestal having side walls with angled slopes; wherein the reduced-width channel allows for the second pole piece to be centered relative to the pedestal; and wherein the central notched pedestal is formed to be symmetrical by the centering of the second pole piece and the act of milling.
18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: prior to forming the pedestal and the gap layer, forming a first pole piece layer of a first pole piece over which the pedestal is subsequently formed.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the gap layer comprises a non-magnetic metal that is electroplated within the channel of the patterned resist.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the gap layer comprises a non-magnetic metal selected from the group consisting of rhodium, tantalum/rhodium, chromium, and gold, which is electroplated within the channel of the patterned resist.
21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first pole piece pedestal and the second pole piece comprise magnetic materials and the gap layer comprises a non-magnetic material.
22. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: repeating the acts of forming the resist channel shrinking film and baking to further reduce the width of the reduced-width channel.
23. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reduced-width channel is produced by an expansion of resist materials within the channel during the act of baking.
24. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reduced-width channel is produced by a growth of materials within the channel during the act of baking.
25. A method for use in forming an inductive write head, comprising: forming, within a channel of a patterned resist, a first pole piece pedestal and gap layer over the first pole piece pedestal; forming a resist channel shrinking film within the channel of the patterned resist; and baking the resist channel shrinking film over the patterned resist, to thereby reduce a width of the channel above the gap layer and pedestal.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising: removing the resist channel shrinking film; and electroplating a second pole piece within the reduced-width channel of the patterned resist.
27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising: removing the resist channel shrinking film; electroplating a second pole piece within the reduced-width channel of the patterned resist; removing the patterned resist; and milling the pedestal, using the second pole piece as a mask, to form a central notched pedestal having side walls with angled slopes.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the act of forming the first pole piece pedestal comprises electroplating and wherein the act of forming the gap layer comprises electroplating a metal gap layer.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the reduced-width channel is produced by an expansion of resist materials within the channel during the act of baking.
30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the reduced-width channel is produced by a growth of materials within the channel during the act of baking.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 30, 2004
March 18, 2008
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